To establish, under Almighty God, the political, legal, social and economic foundations for a just, free and democratic society and for a self-reliant and secure Queensland.
To decentralise, to the maximum extent practicable, the ownership, management and control of the means of production, distribution and exchange.
To protect the fundamental and inalienable rights of each person embodied in the common law, statute and tradition - to life, to the essential liberties of conscience, to equality and natural justice, to ownership of property and to a livelihood that enhances the dignity, status and security of every person.
To assert the right of governments to supervise the States economy, maintain the rule of law and protect the welfare of the less privileged.
To promote the principles, objectives and policies of the Democratic Labor Party, through education, organisation and the selection of suitable men and women as candidates in federal, state and municipal elections.
Politics where people really do count
Principles &Policy listing
The Democratic labor Party (DLP) Queensland Branch holds dear the Judeo Christian Principles by which this state was founded and built on.
The DLP holds with the sacredness of human life, from conception to natural death, as the fundamental basis for all human rights.
The DLP believes in the preservation of our state and its constitution and the Westminster system that has served and built this state over the past 150 years.
The Democratic Labor party supports the family and believes that not only is it the backbone of any community but is the best provider of most welfare services.
The DLP is a decentralist party and believes that the delivery of public services should be left to the smallest unit of government possible.
The DLP supports the worker, small business, small farmer, small unions and public administration while opposing monopolies and cartels including collaborating duopolies.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Queenslanders have had to put up with corruption and accusations of corruption for most of the past 30 years. The Democratic Labor Party has had to stand by while numerous governments failed to clear or fix the system that continues to haunt us today.
The DLP is calling for the re-establishment of an elected Upper House in Queensland utilising proportional representation. The current system has poorly served Queensland and Queenslanders. Decisions are passed unchecked through the Lower house with no Upper House acting as a House of Review. This has led to a multitude of unpopular bills being implemented against the wishes of the electorate. The upper house would not only assist in curtailing corruption, it would add representation and adequate funding to both North and Central Queensland.
4 Year Fixed Terms: The DLP will not support the introduction of a 4 year fixed term parliament in Queensland. This system has not served the other states well and only works to weaken the position of our governor. Three years of a poor performing government is adequate for any population to have to endure.
The Democratic labor would ensure that where practical all government procurements should be aimed at locally manufactured goods.
The Democratic labor Party would ensure that all police and emergency services uniforms and where possible protective garments including footwear, headwear, ammunition and webbing are purchased locally by local producers.
Heavy manufactured items such as rail carriages, buses and ferries etc should always be acquired locally from local manufacturers, if not in Queensland then in Australia to help build and maintain both jobs, expertise and reduce both state and foreign debt.
State stores should be maintained and encouraged at all times to give preferences to locally manufactured goods and services to help reduce our current debt burden and improve our employment prospects.
FORCED COUNCIL MERGERS
The DLP is against the recent forced amalgamation of regional councils. The emergence of huge inefficient councils around the state has caused the loss of jobs in regional centres and a decline in services.
The cost of the amalgamations will be felt by the taxpayers of Queensland for many years. The DLP will re-access the mergers and break up these inefficient and costly bureaucratic blunders.
Many of our regional cousins have had their representation robbed from them while assets and cash reserves have been removed from the people who helped build these areas.
The DLP will work to guarantee the rights of its citizens to representation at all levels of government and will legislate to protect that right.
HEALTH
Abortion:
The DLP undertakes all democratic means to persuade legislators and voters for the protection and care of the born and unborn through policies enshrined in law. Such policies are in response to the issues of abortion, euthanasia, cloning, embryonic experimentation and the use of reproductive technologies that destroy life
The DLP opposes the decriminalisation of abortion in Queensland and supports the legal status quo on this issue. Abortion is listed under the current criminal code in Queensland and at least in principle, states that the life of the child in the womb is worthy of protection. Despite the fact that abortion is available in Queensland, abortion providers still operate outside the law. At the present time, no state government has the political will to enforce the law. The DLP believes that abortionists (not the mothers) should be prosecuted under the current legislation.
In the meantime, the DLP recognises that unexpected pregnancy may be perceived by some women as a time of crisis. We therefore propose that unbiased counselling, medical (including an ultrasound of the unborn baby), spiritual and material assistance be made available for women in these circumstances, with such care to be provided by government funding. We also recommend legislation to have fathers included in any decision making process regarding the lives of their unborn children. The DLP also suggests that fathers have access to counselling and other services during this time. We further recommend legislation requiring the signatures of both parents in agreement before an abortion can be performed.
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Cloning and Embryonic Experiments
While the DLP is pro-life, we do not believe that this entitles anyone to artificially create and destroy life, albeit for the most seemingly altruistic purposes.
The DLP opposes therapeutic and reproductive cloning as they reduce the clone to a commodity. The right to life does not include the right to own or buy a life and does not accept the creation of a human life for the acquisition of body parts. The DLP seeks to overturn current legislation in Queensland which supports cloning.
In line with the underlying pro-life stance, the DLP opposes experimentation on human embryos, which has contributed nothing in the advancement of health or science.
The DLP does acknowledge the wonderful results obtained through use of adult stem cells in the treatment of patients and is very much aware that Queensland researchers lead the world in this field. We would therefore actively encourage greater funding for continued research and development in the use of adult stem cells in assisting Queenslanders and people world wide.
Euthanasia
The DLP opposes euthanasia as the deliberate intent to kill another, whether through lethal injection, ingestion of a drug or poison or failure to provide the minimum necessities of life such as nutrition or hydration.
The DLP believes that euthanasia proposes the elimination of a person in distress in preference to eliminating the distress of the person. The DLP instead supports the use of hospice and palliative care for the seriously ill, dying and disabled and supports legislation to encourage greater provision of and research into these services.
DLP concern is not to preserve life at any cost however. The withdrawal of burdensome or futile treatments or the administration of pain relieving medication, which may as a secondary effect, hasten death, is not euthanasia. It is therefore recognized as not being within the domain of this statement.
CLOSURE OF THE ROYAL CHILDRENS HOSPITAL
The DLP is against the planned closure of the Royal Children’s hospital and the building one super children’s hospital. The idea of one children’s hospital leaves no contingency plan in case of local disaster or super bug. The DLP will ensure that the Royal Children’s will remain and its services improved and increased.
LABOUR HIRE STAFFING OF PUBLIC HOSPITALS
The use of labour hire companies to manage and control public hospitals is costing our youth jobs. Young nursing graduates fail to gain positions with these firms, (through lack of experience) while our full time nursing staff continue to age, leaving our state with an impeding disaster. Our youth should be able to gain employment in regional hospitals and not have to travel interstate to gain experience because of public system failure to properly manage our hospitals.
The DLP would support the re-introduction of hospital boards to manage and run regional hospitals and remove the current inefficient and centralised control out of Brisbane.
The DLP would look at returning revenues raised from tobacco, gambling, (Including Lotto and the Golden Casket) into the health system..
FORCED MEDICATION OF THE POPULATION:
The DLP stands against forced medication of the population (introduction of fluoride into Queensland waterways).
The DLP is calling for the halting of this until such times as a people’s referendum on the matter is held. The people of Queensland need to be informed of all the facts on this matter before introduction is considered and a referendum held.
We believe that the Premier and the Queensland parliament have clearly failed in their duty of care by not providing clear and precise warnings of the consumption of fluoride especially with consumption by infants.
We are calling on the government to provide rebates for filters for those people who cannot digest fluoride or mothers with young babies until this substance can be cleansed from our drinking supplies.
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP
The DLP believe that certain activities are of such importance to the infrastructure of society that they should be owned by the government on behalf of the people.
These include: Railways
Power generation and distribution
Water
The DLP will do all it can to return and maintain these crucial industries in public hands.
We have all learnt the madness of economic rationalism, and have witnessed public utilities being bought back from multi national companies that despite considerable price rises, have failed to provide these services adequately. The DLP will put a Halt to the sell off of public assets in this state.
The recent financial collapse should be a warning to us all, that moving publicly owned assets into privately held debt, is not only economic irrationalism, but dangerous and costly to the taxpayer. Privately run public assets not only rob future generations of assets and income streams, but quickly disperse any cost saving benefits into shareholders funds and or tax benefits. This then places an ever increasing additional tax burden on the previous owners (the taxpayers) who were robbed of the assets in the first place.
INFRASTRUCTURE:
The DLP will work to reduce to a minimum the use of public private partnerships that are not only taxing our current population by way of tolls, but will continue to tax the next generation with only the concerns of their shareholders in mind. We understand on rare occasions this maybe the only way to achieve needed infrastructure, we totally reject the current use of public private partnerships as the preferred method.
The Democratic Labor Party would return to long term infrastructure planning that would halt the current crises control decisions that have lead to the recent government failures including the Mary River Dam, BrisConnections etc. Failure to plan is not a plan and the absolute failure of planing by the Beattie/Bligh governments has lead to a series of rushed and expensive failures.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
The DLP supports the re-instatement of existing rail corridors to semi-rural and rural areas, to extend the public transport system so as to provide viable alternatives, to the over congested road systems and existing parking infrastructure.
The Democratic Labor Party would work at achieving the following;
Increased free parking at public transport interchange points to increase the usage and ease congestion in and out of key areas.
Better integration of the bus rail system to ease traffic congestion and provide a cheaper, faster and more attractive alternative to commuters than the use of the family car.
Regular reviews of existing public transport systems by way of reviewing routes and timetables, to keep pace and increase efficiency of the existing public transport system.
The Democratic Labor Party believes that public transport should play a greater part in the years ahead and are appalled at the lack of planning and importance that previous governments failed to place on this issue. The use of existing rail corridors and extensions of those services (IE Brisbane to Toowoomba) my have taken the urgency out of a number of major road projects and provided Queenslanders with an improved, safer, and more environmentally friendly lifestyle.
The DLP would also commence the feasibility of adding suburban rails services to key regional centres, and believe that this would prevent a similar occurrence of what has happened in Brisbane from happening again elsewhere in the state.
The Democratic labor Party would insist that projects including cross river tunnels, bridges and highways, take into account the need for an extended public rail system and adequately plan to allow for the addition of the services when required.
The DLP recognises the valuable and important role played by those industries which create and maintain the vital necessities by which we live in our society.
These include all agricultural spheres of activity, which takes in our food production, but also includes the production of the basic ingredients for medicines and other life-supporting necessities, such as building materials and clothing, alongside the production of energy.
By definition, this naturally includes the Fishing and other Maritime industries.
It also includes the Mining industry, and these lead out to all associated industries, of which the DLP recognises to be the whole basis of our economy and lifestyle.
The DLP is strongly determined to seek and implement all responsible and logical methods of representation by, and for these groups, to ensure long-term viability, and thus to ensure the survival, and continued growth of this, our State, and ultimately our Country
FARMING
By definition, this includes the production of all basic food groups before modification by secondary industries such as canneries, mills, and etc. It incorporates the production of all Plant-based food groups, as well as the breeding and subsequent production of Poultry and Animal based commodities
The DLP recognise that Food is not the only basic necessity, as energy, clothing and shelter considerations are also of paramount need, and thus we value the production of the basic ingredients for these important materials.
The DLP would work with those employed in these endeavours, to re-evaluate the overall requirements of each sector of primary industry, to determine, and then implement, the most suitable guidelines for those industries. This is so that each sector can again focus on the task of producing such commodities at affordable and sustainable levels, bearing in mind our delicate environment, without being “bogged-down” in bureaucratic red-tape.
The DLP notes that Deregulation of a raft of industries has decimated the rural sector, and displaced thousands of rural families off the land. This policy has been pursued by both the ALP and the Liberal Parties.
The DLP would review these policies for the greater efficiencies that were once part of our expectations of government, and our lifestyle.
The DLP would encourage the development of Local guidelines for each sector of industry, in recognition of the individual environmental factors pertaining to each ecological portion of this, our diverse state. NO all-encompassing rules work in such variable conditions, which can radically change in distances far shorter than those available in our state. This would ensure the viability of our delicate eco-system better than any “overall”, or ‘blanket’ policies would. It also allows for better use of water resources, as these vary incredibly within our state.
Where monitoring of specific commodities is required (such as water and carbon levels), the DLP ‘encourages’ unbiased Locals to facilitate such monitoring where possible, but to have Governmental agents available to conduct such, when the realities of said production become too great for the individual producers to manage, and these at minimal cost to the producers.
The DLP will establish a Primary Industry Board, consisting of government appointees and industry representatives, to determine a Just and Equitable Farm-Gate Price
DAIRY INDUSTRY
The DLP will regulate the Dairy industry through a Milk Board, with both industry and government representatives
WOOL & GRAIN INDUSTRY
The DLP would re-evaluate the need for Grain and Wool Boards, and their operational structures, so as to make them viable and run on sound principles
SUGAR
The DLP would re-establish a Sugarcane Board to market sugar production.
The DLP would push for the Establishment of an Ethanol Industry in Queensland for the reduction of pollutants by our transport and machinery sectors, and in which growers share in the value added to sugar by the production process.
The DLP would also encourage every avenue of investigation into the outlet of our Natural Gas at filling stations as a fuel source for vehicles to further reduce pollutants, and which can be utilised without any further modification by vehicles already converted for gas consumption. This would increase our economic returns within the state while caring for our environment at the same time.
The DLP recognises the vital first-line of defence by primary producers against vermin, being of both plant and animal variety, and in their role in the control and eradication of such. Primary producers require the relaxing of firearm laws to again carry out this role, as the upswing in numbers of animal vermin is readily noticeable in all areas of our country since the current firearm laws were introduced..
The DLP will protect hunting of vermin, and rogue animals by primary producers, as well as by licensed firearms carriers, providing such permission is granted by the land-holders. This so that the legitimate activity of clearing vermin from our eco-systems to protect the product of the producers, as well as protecting our valuable and unique Flora and Fauna, is maintained.
All human life has the Right of Self-Protection from vermin and rogue animals, and the carrying of weapons in rural and remote areas is an every-day reality, and one which the DLP would endeavour to protect.
RECREATIONAL FISHING HUNTING SHOOTING AND VERMIN CONTROL
The DLP values the fishing industry.
We would restructure the Great Barrier Reef marine park authority by the inclusion of meaningful representation from both the commercial and recreational fishing associations to ensure the management of the resource in the best interest of all groups.
The DLP would also re-examine the current green (or no go) zones in Moreton bay and other areas. Recreational fishing creates jobs and brings money into these areas while strengthening our small business communities. We do not accept that restricting families from recreational fishing in the exclusion zones will or could affect fish numbers in those areas. The idea that a father and son with a fishing line could fish out these areas is nonsense.
The DLP encourages family friendly activities like that of fishing, and rejects the ALP governments ban on these activities in our bay areas.
The DLP is concerned about the introduction of fluoride in our waterways and is calling on an enquiry to the damage that the runoff would interfere with the breading of fish in our bay areas.
The DLP will protect hunting as a legitimate activity that supports the clearing of vermin such as wild pigs, feral dogs, feral cats and other obnoxious vermin that is destroying our native wildlife,to ensure sustainability of our unique eco-environment.
The infestation of feral animals in this state is leading to the extinction of the bilby the northern wombat and many other small mammals and reptiles. The DLP would work with organisations like the sporting shooters, the crossbow and archery associations to encourage the participation in feral clearance of affected areas.
While we would protect both competition shooting and firearms collection in Queensland as legitimate activities, we would continue to maintain the current tough home secure storage legislation in Queensland, while removing the heavy licensing requirements on category A & B firearms and the current restrictions on crossbows.
EDUCATION:
The DLP supports and has adopted the following three principles of education.
1. Principle One - The Primary Mission
"The primary mission of schooling is to form men and women, who, in tomorrow's world, will be able to give the best of themselves for the good of society and to take his or her place in the community."
2. Principle Two - A Duty
"Schooling is a child's duty to him/herself and to society, and society's duty to itself and its children.
3. Principle Three - Subsidiarity
"The principle of subsidiarity is the social doctrine that responsibility and authority reside at the lowest appropriate level, and that higher governance is subordinate to lower."
The DLP in Queensland supports the following policies in line with these principles.
The reintroduction of a suitable phonics program as the main method of teaching reading in Queensland.
That Queensland's autonomous teacher training colleges' programmes for teacher training be approved by and supervised by Queensland's Education Department in order to ensure that the emphasis in teacher-training courses be placed upon the practical aspects of teaching
The DLP supports freedom of information in education in order that the Queensland public might be permitted to freely access, distribute and comment upon the Queensland Studies Authority's various key learning areas' (subjects) documents that are used by Queensland schools and teachers to prepare units of work for our Queensland children
The DLP believes in maintaining and extending the current school chaplain programme, and would push for the re-introduction of religious instructions in schools with opt out option for parents who wished to do so.
ENVIRONMENT – The ETS (CPRS)
The DLP is against any form of (ETS) or carbon emissions trade schemes. We believe in a sensible approach to reducing carbon not a direct tax on fixed and lower income earners.
The ALP and the Greens are committed to introducing an ETS scheme that will tax low income earners, small business and small farmers directly.
The CPRS scheme as proposed is nothing more than another tax, and while we support responsible environmental protection, we would not support a tax that would achieve nothing for the environment, while adversely affecting the economic well being of Queensland.
Queensland will feel the brunt of a CPRS more than any other state and if elected we will fight against the introduction this and other ideological driven tax and enforcement schemes.
The DLP believe in a more practical approach of combining a number of reward based systems as well as new industries that will achieve positive results without the massive financial impact proposed by the ALP and the greens.
The development of the Ethanol industry, combined with our own “Green Car” renewable energy will create jobs while making a positive contribution to carbon reduction. Early deregulation of Australia’s sugar industry has decimated the region and this will help to restore and rebuild confidence and jobs especially in North Queensland
We would offer funding and development of real pollution reducing technologies, not just tax the community for the sake of making an international ideological trade system with no benefit, either environmental or economic for Queensland.
BEES
The world shortage of bees has sent shockwaves around the world and Australia is doing its part to re-populate countries like the US with a valuable supply of bees. The DLP were shocked when the current government placed a ban commercial bee keeping on public lands.
The DLP would restore access these lands to commercial beekeepers
The DLP would also encourage native bees to be used for commercial purposes
WATER
Water and the guaranteed safe supply thereof, is a crucial role of government and should never be placed in private hands. The Democratic Labor Party would fight against any government move for privatisation and believes that this is one of the governments prime responsibilities
The DLP will not impose taxes on run-off water collected in tanks, earthen dams, and such, both rurally and domestically, for the consumption by humans, and animals, being of both domestic and native kind.
WILD RIVERS LEGISLATION
The Democratic Labor Party disagrees with the current government’s wild rivers legislation and is against the removal of rites from the local indigenous people in those regions.
The DLP would push for the rescinding of this legislation and the reinstatement of the previous agreement with the Northern Land Council.
THE USE OF RECYCLED SEWAGE IN QLD DAMS.
The DLP will not allow recycled sewage into our drinking water.
No country in the world has deliberately introduced recycled effluent into their drinking water at these levels. The examples given by the government are clearly misleading.
The current system allows recycled effluent from, Hospitals, Abattoirs and industry.
The current recycled sewage system should be used for, industry, agriculture and top up dams like the Atkinson dam in the Brisbane Valley.
This would allow the government to continue its breading programme of the lung fish there as well as adding a recreational industry of fishing, boating and other family/environmentally friendly business and activities.
Science and technology is an integral part of modern society The Democratic Labor Party of Australia (DLP) Science Policy supports the growth of science and technology in Australia to benefit all Australians.
The DLP will continue traditional support and promote the growth of:
Antarctic science, Australia’s Antarctic bases and further the research done there.
Growth & improved funding and de-politicisation of the CSIRO. The CSIRO will help to improve the efficiency of Australian industries through innovative research without being tied to predetermined industry outcomes, which promotes bad science. Allow the CSIRO to produce scientifically informative videos; as was done for the General Public a few decades ago. This could encourage young Australians to take up science as a career. The DLP by improved funding will encourage the CSIRO through greater self management of its own affairs to help the industries both in the city and on the land to prosper.
Growth and improved funding DSTO (Defence Science and Technology Organisation).
Increased funding for science and technology research in Australian Universities with a proviso that the lead persons in a funded research project must be Australian Citizens and residing in Australia
Astronomical research – increased funding for facilities and research in Australia and for Australia’ part in Antarctic and overseas facilities in which Australia owns as share.
Increase support and growth for the Australian Space Research Program to sponsor the growth of Space Industries and other high tech industries.
Increased research in nuclear fusion to provide energy.
The encouragement of Science Education at Primary, Secondary, and University Levels.
Energy of homes and industry by the use of Coal, Natural Gas, Nuclear (uranium fuelled Fission and when available Fusion), and alternatives sources such as solar and wind using various technologies.
The DLP supports the improvement of communications and internet services access for all Australians whether in the city or the bush.
A sound environmental policy based on common sense that can be summed up in the following statement “Clean food, clean water, and clean air” and the reduction of waste. Further the DLP supports the concept of a system of National and State Parks; but not to expand to the extent that this jeopardise food production and would cause Australia to become net importer of food.
The DLP supports efforts to secure water for Australia’s growing population with additional dams and desalination plants thoughtfully located; however the DLP does not support recycled water or “H-poo-O” for drinking purposes due to potential health risks; especially when systems can breakdown or someone forgets/neglects to do their job properly. Further the DLP does not support the compulsory additives to drinking water such as fluoride – this should be determined by citizens
The DLP does not support the so called “Global warming” argument, as adequate accurate scientific data does not exist to support such a contention on a global scale. The DLP asserts that this spurious argument is being used to introduce a Carbon Trading Scheme which is bold “smoke” screen for yet another tax. Unsound science is now being used to invent taxes and this cannot be supported.
